Introduction
Healthy eating is necessary for the development and good health of children between the ages of 3-15. The learning institutions are determined to promote and educate children on healthy eating (Marcano-Olivier et al., 2021). However, children between the ages 3-15 are still engaging in unhealthy nutrition practices (Weihrauch-Blüher et al., 2023). Thus, there is a need to develop an integrated program to address the nutrition needs of children that demonstrates high chances of effectiveness and efficiency in its delivery. The main aim of the paper carry out a literature review on nutrition education interventions for children in the ages 3-15 and identify the approaches to educate children in the ages 3-15 on nutrition. The topic is essential in the health promotion of the target population to guarantee their well-being in their adult life. Therefore, the paper is set to address nutrition education for children by developing an integrated educational program aimed at the promotion of healthy eating habits among children ages 3-15, by evaluating the program’s effectiveness in the enhancement of food choices and nutritional knowledge.
Summary of Articles
The article by Marcano-Olivier et al., (2021) identified the need to identify the adjustment in the children’s nutritional content after the implementation of the Dudes healthy eating initiative. The study notes that the effectiveness of healthy eating habits is always actualized in primary schools. The Dudes program is demonstrated as an intervention that is multicomponent with the capacity to be adopted at the national and regional levels within Ireland and England. The program is instrumental in the promotion of vegetable and fruit consumption through the application of rewards, repeated tasting, and role modeling (Marcano-Olivier et al., 2021). Role modeling is crucial in modifying consumption behavior, repeated tasting is linked with intensified expressed consumption of a food item and the rewards are linked to the desirability and affordability of the food items. The interventions considered by the programs are teacher-led in the classroom settings and others in the homes in the immediate dining rooms. Moreover, the study concludes that changes that are short-term based on dietary habits realized over 2 months can be significant and robust.
Pulimeno et al., (2020) identify schools as an appropriate setting that can promote the wellbeing and health of young people. The outcome of the study shows that student well-being promotion can significantly decrease unhealthy outcomes while at the same time enhancing children’s academic achievements (Pulimeno et al., 2020). It is acknowledged that about 80% of all heart disease cases, type 2 diabetes, and strokes can be avoided through health education. Pulimeno et al., (2020) conclude that primary schools should have health promotion integration into the ordinary learning and teaching practices to have improved health.
In another study by Adeoya, Akinwusi & Nagatomi, (2023) the authors acknowledge that the number of people who cannot afford to eat healthy foods has increased to about 3.1 billion with the majority being children in 2022. The food choices considered by children are established to be impacting their well-being, development, and nutritional health. The meals and school surroundings are required to complement dietary messages that are healthy to realize optimal effects (Adeoya, Akinwusi & Nagatomi, 2023). Besides, children below the age of 15 are noted to be having difficulty in understanding the link existing between the school mi-day meal choice and health. They are in most cases unable to establish the sources of minerals, vitamins, and proteins.
Approaches To Educate the Target Population about the Topic
The approaches to educating the target population include the typical experimental learning approaches to increase nutritional knowledge, vegetable consumption, fruit consumption, and decreased energy and food intake. The experimental approach involves interventions that are school-based including campaigns in social marketing, dietary improvement policies, environmental interventions, nutrition learning programs, nutrition-friendly initiatives, and curriculum evaluations and initiatives. The approaches will consider the culture of the target population through the development of feeding practices that are culturally responsive to recognize the children’s families’ cultural beliefs associated with feeding (Daniels, (2019). The feeding programs will have to take into consideration the customs, beliefs, and values that are accepted by the parents to attract support from the parents and guardians in ensuring the program realizes its objective. The lifestyle changes will be promoted through the use of a flexible schedule where the parents will have to adhere to the timing for snacks, dinner, and lunch. The mechanism will be crucial in reassuring parents that their children are consuming enough quantities and reinforcing the desired behaviors among the children (Dalal et al., (2022). The children will have to eat after about four to five hours.
Moreover, the health promotion strategies that will be involved include educational meetings, educational materials, visits that are educational outreach based, and tailored intervention for the marginalized groups of children in the ages 3-15. Most of the promotion strategies will be implemented in the school settings surroundings and a few will be implemented in the residential areas of the children (Wolfenden et al., 2020). The implementation strategies will substantially improve the program, and practices implemented by childcare services that encourage obesity prevention, physical activity, and healthy eating.
Conclusion
In summary, addressing nutrition education for children by developing an educational program aimed at the promotion of healthy eating habits among children the ages 3-15, by evaluating the program’s effectiveness in the enhancement of food choices and nutritional knowledge is essential in identifying a viable nutrition option that can address the health needs of children. The majority of the nutrition education interventions implemented are teacher-led in the classroom settings and others in the homes in the immediate dining rooms. The student’ well-being promotion can significantly decrease unhealthy outcomes while at the same time enhancing children’s academic achievements reducing the occurrence of about 80% of all heart disease cases, type 2 diabetes, and strokes. Children between the ages of 3 and 15 can be effectively educated on nutrition through an experimental approach that involves interventions that are school-based including campaigns in social marketing, dietary improvement policies, environmental interventions, nutrition learning programs, nutrition-friendly initiatives, and curriculum evaluations and initiatives.
References
Adeoya, A. A., Akinwusi, A. T., & Nagatomi, R. (2023). Effectiveness of nutrition education in enhancing knowledge and attitude of pupils on choice of school mid‐day meal in Ibadan, Nigeria. Food Science & Nutrition.
Dalal, M., Cazorla-Lancaster, Y., Chu, C. G., & Agarwal, N. (2022). Healthy From the Start—Lifestyle Interventions in Early Childhood. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 16(5), 562-569.
Daniels, L. A. (2019). Feeding practices and parenting: A pathway to child health and family happiness. Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism, 74(Suppl. 2), 29-42.
Marcano-Olivier, M., Sallaway-Costello, J., McWilliams, L., Horne, P. J., Viktor, S., & Erjavec, M. (2021). Changes in the nutritional content of children’s lunches after the Food Dudes healthy eating programme. Journal of Nutritional Science, 10, e40.
Pulimeno, M., Piscitelli, P., Colazzo, S., Colao, A., & Miani, A. (2020). School as ideal setting to promote health and wellbeing among young people. Health promotion perspectives, 10(4), 316.
Weihrauch-Blüher, S., Huizinga, O., Joisten, C., Pflanz, J., Torbahn, G., Wiegand, S., … & Hauner, H. (2023). Changes in lifestyle and body weight in children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic: A representative survey of parents in Germany. Obesity Facts, 16(3), 301-312.
Wolfenden, L., Barnes, C., Jones, J., Finch, M., Wyse, R. J., Kingsland, M., … & Yoong, S. L. (2020). Strategies to improve the implementation of healthy eating, physical activity and obesity prevention policies, practices or programmes within childcare services. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (2).
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